Smart shopping

Updated 19 March 2026

How to save money on groceries in Australia

Practical ways to cut your grocery bill in Australia. Real prices, no fluff, no extreme couponing. Save $20-50 per week.

The average Australian family spends $300 a week on groceries. A few smart moves can cut that by $20-50 without eating beans on toast for a month.

1. Know the Real Price, Not Just the Tag

Retailers mark down prices and bump them back up. The same item can swing $2-5 depending on the week. If you buy it when it's high, you're losing money.

Check price history before you buy. Pinch shows 52 weeks of price data for every product at every store, so you know if the "sale" price is actually a sale or just the normal tag.

Most groceries cycle through price swings every 6-12 weeks. Wait for the dip.

2. Shop at ALDI for Staples

ALDI doesn't have as much range, but on basics, they're 15-25% cheaper than Coles and Woolworths. Flour, rice, tinned tomatoes, olive oil, pasta, milk. Buy your staples there; buy specialty items where you find them.

Milk at Coles: $3.30. Milk at ALDI: $2.70. That's $3-4 a week just on milk.

3. Check Unit Prices, Not Packet Prices

A 500g packet for $3 looks cheap until you check the unit price. The 750g packet at $4 might actually be cheaper per kilo. Always divide weight into price or check the per-kg sticker on the shelf.

Bulk sometimes is a trap. Buy the size you'll actually use before it goes stale.

4. Plan Meals Before Shopping

One random shop costs more and wastes more. Write down 5-7 meals you'll cook this week, build a list around them, and stick to it.

Unplanned buys waste money twice: once when you buy them, again when they rot in the fridge. Australians throw away $2-3k of food per year. That's $40-60 a week in the bin.

A simple meal plan cuts food waste by 30-40%.

5. Buy Own-Brand

Own-brand flour is flour. Own-brand pasta tastes the same. Own-brand olive oil does the job. You're paying for the label on the premium stuff, not for better quality.

Own-brand products are 30-50% cheaper and often made in the same factory. Try it on one item this week and see.

6. Time Your Buys (42.3% of Coles Products Drop 15%+ Cyclically)

Pinch data shows that 42% of Coles products have a predictable price cycle where they drop 15% or more, then climb back up. If you know when beef mince drops, buy 3kg and freeze it. When chicken is cheap, stock the freezer.

Check this week's specials at Coles and Woolworths and note what's genuinely on sale vs what's just loud marketing.

7. Don't Shop Hungry

You'll fill your basket with junk and expensive items you don't need. Eat a snack, make a list, stick to it. This saves more than you'd think.

8. Use Your Freezer

When meat goes on sale, buy more than you need this week and freeze it. Bread, berries, leftover stews. Your freezer is a time machine that lets you buy at last week's cheap price and eat it next week.

Frozen is often cheaper and just as good as fresh.

9. Reduce Waste

Store fruit and veg properly. Most wilts in the crisper drawer. Lettuces last 2-3 weeks in a container with a paper towel. Herbs in water like flowers. Carrots and celery in water. Berries in a single layer on paper towel.

That $2-3k a year in food waste is preventable with one good container and a bit of planning.

10. Consider Splitting Your Shop

If ALDI is near you, get your staples there and specialty items at Coles or Woolworths. If Harris Farm has great produce prices this week, pop in for that. It sounds like a hassle until you realise you're saving $40-50 a week.

The Simple Math

Implement 4-5 of these strategies. Each one saves $5-10 per week.

• Price history: $5-10/week
• ALDI staples: $10-15/week
• Meal planning: $10-20/week
• Own-brand switch: $5-10/week
• Timing buys: $5-10/week

That's $35-65 per week. $1,800-3,400 per year. For a lower-income family, that's the difference between comfort and stress.